UK's Kraken Partners with Canada's Davie to Manufacture Unmanned Surface Vessels

en.Wedoany.com Reported - UK-based autonomous vessel developer Kraken Technology Group has partnered with Canadian shipbuilder Davie to manufacture Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) in Quebec, with the first product being Kraken's K3 Scout platform.

As demand for autonomous maritime systems continues to grow in the naval and defense sectors, this partnership expands Kraken's production footprint in North America. The K3 Scout platform is offered in multiple configurations, including an 8-meter (26.2-foot) variant with a 1,323-pound payload and a top speed of 55 knots, and an 18.6-meter (61-foot) variant with a payload capacity of up to 22,046 pounds and a claimed range of 2,000 nautical miles. These vessels are primarily aimed at intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, force protection, and other maritime security missions.

Philip Burns-O'Brien, Senior Vice President of Commercial Business Development at Davie Shipbuilding, stated that this partnership marks a step forward for the company in the next-generation maritime industry. He noted that future maritime security will involve manned and autonomous vessels sailing seamlessly together in the most contested environments. Kraken brings world-class autonomous vessel technology, while Davie brings scale, advanced shipbuilding infrastructure, and a track record of delivering mission-critical vessels on time and on budget.

Kraken is rapidly scaling production capacity through partnerships with major defense and shipbuilding enterprises. The company told Tectonic that it can currently produce one vessel per day in the UK and plans to increase output to 1,000 USVs per year. According to Tectonic, through a separate partnership with Rheinmetall, Kraken is already producing USVs at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Germany.

In late 2025, Kraken signed a contract ceiling agreement with the U.S. Special Operations Command for high-speed autonomous craft. More recently, the company also entered into another production partnership with Anduril Industries, focusing on large autonomous vessel programs within the United States.

For Davie, the agreement marks its entry into the rapidly growing autonomous vessel sector. Founded in 1825, the Quebec-based shipbuilder has delivered over 700 vessels and is one of Canada's largest shipbuilding companies. The shipyard is currently building icebreakers and other government vessels for Canadian and U.S. customers.

Kraken stated that this partnership will enable the company to manufacture vessels at scale in North America while supporting the modernization of Canadian naval capabilities through the combination of manned and unmanned systems. The company noted that its vessels can be equipped with configurations for harsh environments, including cold regions, with optional systems such as de-icing equipment and extended climate packages to reduce ice accumulation and maintain operational capability in Arctic and sub-Arctic conditions.

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